Test yourself This article in The Los Angeles Times (free, but annoying registration) goes over the new trend toward self-testing. The FDA is wringing its hands over its impotence and doctors are worried about their roles as gate-keepers. Yeah, people will make stupid decisions, but in the end the more information one has the better. As someone who thinks that nurses can do 80-90% of a typical family practice doctor's job (and friends of mine in medical school-who are going into specialties of course!-agree with me on this point) I think it's a good sign for cheap and easy access if M.D.s are freaking out. One thing that our post-industrial wealth has done is made information professions both more important and less indispensable. Though doctors might not suggest tests-in the end they will be consulted on the ramifications as more and more people find out they have predispositions to illnesses.